Chapter 20

A few people on the tree watched as Pear Blossom climbed down, realizing that no matter what they did, it was too late. 

They could only follow her instructions and extinguish their torches. As they watched several wild wolves chase after her, they waited until the flames disappeared before lighting their torches again, climbing down the tree and heading toward the cliff.

Qin Xiaobao was stuck in a crevice, still quite a distance from the cliff’s top. Fortunately, the group had prepared in advance. Qin Dashan had brought a small bundle of ropes, which, combined with some vines, reached just enough to reach Xiaobao.

“Xiaobao, do you still have the strength to hold the rope and climb up?”

“Father, I have the strength. I’ll tie the rope around my waist, and once it’s secure, you can pull me up.”

Soon, Qin Xiaobao was ready. The group worked together to pull the rope up, and when they reached the top of the cliff, the three of them—father and two sons—hugged and cried together.

Zhang Laowu hurriedly said, “Stop crying; let’s hurry down the mountain. We don’t know where Pear Blossom led those wolves.”

Qin Dashan quickly wiped away his tears and began organizing their descent.

Qin Xiaobao had injured his leg, so Qin Dashan and Zhang Laowu took turns carrying him. Qin Dabao and Daniu held torches to light the way. On their way up, it was Pear Blossom who had guided them, and although they had some memory of the path, the descent was still awkward.

Fortunately, there were no animals along the way, and they safely reached the foot of the mountain.

When they reached familiar ground, the group only felt half-relieved, as they still had no idea what had happened to Pear Blossom. The wolves had followed her, and things didn’t look good.

Qin Xiaobao blamed himself, saying, “It’s all my fault. If I had listened and not gone to Wuyin Mountain, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Qin Dashan also worried, “Why did we end up saving one person but losing another? This trade isn’t worth it.”

As they descended, carrying their torches, the Qin family saw them and rushed over to meet them.

Although other families hadn’t sent anyone, they were quietly observing the situation on the mountain. Seeing the torches, they regretted not sending someone out themselves. This way, they could have claimed a favor from the Qin family.

Mrs. Qin held her little grandson and cried out, while Xiong looked around for her children.

When she didn’t see Pear Blossom, her heart leaped into her throat, and she grabbed Daniu, almost unable to speak: “You… where is your sister?”

Zhang Laowu hurried over and explained, “Sister-in-law, we ran into wolves on the mountain. Pear Blossom ran off to lead them away so we could rescue Xiaobao. We couldn’t stop her in time, so we had to save him first.”

Xiong’s mind went blank, and she almost fainted.

A few households nearby seemed to have noticed Pear Blossom’s absence, and their regret quickly turned to sorrow. 

One wife kicked her husband’s leg, saying, “See? We lost one on the mountain. If you’d really gone, you probably wouldn’t have made it down alive either, just pretending to be strong.”

The man, covered in blankets, didn’t say a word but secretly felt relieved.

At the foot of the mountain, when Mrs. Qin heard that Pear Blossom hadn’t come down, she cried again: “This is a cruel fate. How did it become one life for another?”

Zhang Laowu quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Pear Blossom is no ordinary girl. She’s the one who led us to Xiaobao. She has some skills up her sleeve. Don’t be anxious.”

Qin Dashan also comforted her, “Sister-in-law, Laowu and I will go back up to look for Pear Blossom. We can’t leave her alone up there.”

Zhang Laowu, thinking about Pear Blossom’s actions, was impressed. She had single-handedly led away the wolf pack. 

What kind of men would they be if they hesitated? He waved his hand decisively: “Let’s go. We’re going up to bring Pear Blossom down.”

Daniu, of course, would follow, and Qin Dabao also held a torch and was ready to go.

Seeing that the group was about to climb back up after just coming down, Mrs. Xiong, who had long been looked down upon by the Xiang family, was deeply moved. She fell to her knees, tears in her eyes, thanking them for their willingness to help.

Qin Dashan hurriedly said, “Sister-in-law, why are you doing this? If it weren’t for Pear Blossom saving Xiaobao, we wouldn’t even be here. If she hadn’t led away the wolves, we would’ve been dead on that mountain.”

Mrs. Xiong was about to say something but heard Qin Laohan next to her rubbing his eyes and saying, “Look up there on the mountain—could that be Pear Blossom?”

Everyone quickly turned to look in the direction he pointed, and sure enough, a tall, slender girl was holding a torch and running down the mountain at an incredible speed. She was faster than a leopard, and the wind almost extinguished her torch.

“It’s Pear Blossom—”

“It really is her!”

“She’s incredibly fast. She said the traffickers couldn’t catch her, and I didn’t believe it before, but now I see.”

Mrs. Xiong watched her daughter running like the wind, and tears couldn’t help but fall again.

Mrs. Qin hugged her, saying, “Our Xiaobao owes your Pear Blossom a life.”

Now that Pear Blossom had returned safely, Mrs. Xiong’s heart finally settled. She took Mrs. Qin’s hand and said, “Don’t talk about owing a life. That girl is too bold. When she comes back, I’ll teach her a good lesson.”

Qin Dashan quickly said, “That won’t do. We can’t punish her. She’s our great benefactor now.”

With Xiaobao safe and Pear Blossom back, the weight on everyone’s hearts lifted. They felt at ease. For Zhang Laowu, tonight’s events would surely give him plenty to boast about, and he was particularly happy, saying, “Qin Laoge, we must have a couple of drinks later to calm our nerves.”

“Of course, to settle our nerves.”

A few people were teasing, and soon, Pear Blossom ran down the mountain to join them. She was sprinting fast, but it drained all the energy she had.

When she finally reached them, she couldn’t hold on anymore and collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

Everyone was shocked and quickly rushed to check on her.

Pear Blossom waved her hand weakly and said, “I’m fine, just exhausted. Mom, carry me back.”

When Mrs. Xiong heard this, she was both angry and amused. She gave Pear Blossom’s bottom a few hard slaps and scolded, “I told you not to show off. I told you not to show off!”

Qin Dabao wanted to carry her, but Pear Blossom was already a grown girl, so Xiong declined.

Besides, how heavy could a little girl like Pear Blossom be? Now that she was safely back, not only could Mrs. Xiong carry her home, but she could also walk her around the entire village without getting tired.

Mrs. Qin said, “Take the girl to my house. After you finish the porridge, let her drink some.”

“This is the middle of the night; what’s the point of porridge? I’ll just carry her back and let her drink some water.”

“That’s not enough! She ran so far at night, her stomach must be empty now. Hurry up, don’t be polite.”

The man in the neighboring house, wrapped in his quilt, started mumbling quietly, complaining about his wife. He was upset that she wouldn’t let him go and worried that tomorrow, in front of the Qin family, he wouldn’t even be able to lift his head.